Inmates Who Smoke Given Light-up Term

TALLAHASSEE -- A proposed state law to stop prison inmates from lighting up behind bars was snuffed out on Wednesday by a House committee.

Rather than ban cigarette smoking in prisons, the House Corrections Committee voted to let the Department of Corrections make its own smoking rules for inmates.

``Now it`s just another feel-good bill,`` said Rep. Carol Hanson, R-Boca Raton, as she stood outside the committee meeting room for a cigarette break.

The outright smoking ban was sought by Rep. Sandy Safley, R-Clearwater, who said it would help cut down on the state`s $110 million annual bill on health services for nearly 50,000 prisoners.

``What are we doing coddling prisoners at the expense of the taxpayers?`` Safley asked.

Safley even won support from some confirmed smokers, like Rep. Sam Mitchell, D-Vernon, who is known for smoking large, smelly cigars.

``We don`t do anything else to (inmates) so we might as well do this,`` Mitchell said. ``We`re just trying to adopt a standard in the prisons that you`ve already adopted for me in the Capitol. You`ve even got my wife talking about my cigars now -- I have to go outside my home to smoke.``

Opponents argued that taking tobacco away from inmates could start a riot. And, Hanson quipped, ``Do we really care if an inmate on Death Row smokes or not?``

Currently, individual prisons make their own smoking policies. There is no count of how many prisoners smoke, but one corrections department spokesman said a high percentage do light up.

The bill (HB 785) would give the corrections department until Oct. 1 to develop a statewide policy.

Several states have already imposed a smoking ban in their prison systems. In Florida, Broward Sheriff Nick Navarro has made the county jail smoke-free.